Why is this a blogue?

Why is this a blogue, not a blog?
It’s just an old-fashioned touch that harkens back to less-hurried (and harried) times, when a letter took a while to get delivered, and a reply took a while longer. When books were savored for their precious rarity. When news came in slowly for the most part and could be thoughtfully considered. A rapid-fire flow of constant info-junk tends to make me twitchy. When you visit my blogue, I invite you to take a nice deep breath, absorb things a little at a time, wander in a serendipitous fashion, and generally remember that even in the ultra-speedy world of the Internet, you control the pace of your life.

January 12, 2009

As I went to bed last night, I thought that today I would write a blogue entry about life's little luxuries, the things that make us feel prosperous and well taken care of when times are hard and money is tight. I wanted to write about the simple delight of stepping into a foamy pink bath made by using just half of an Enchantment bath bomb from Fantasy Bath, or the sweet warming goodness of a cup of Penzey's hot chocolate, made with vanilla sugar and dusted with nutmeg. And then I fell asleep and had a dream.

June 02, 2008

One of our Silver Branch priestesses, Patience, is a big advocate of the Spiritual Bath, as taught by Rosita Arvigo (see her book Spiritual Bathing for more bath rituals from around the world). This is not a bath you immerse yourself in, but rather, an energy-cleanse that you do standing up with a bucket of water to which you have added fresh flowers and other plants (leaves, herbs, whatever feels right to you). Patience says that spiritual baths are good after a big shock, when you are depressed or sad, when you feel stuck and unmoving, when you feel the need for an outer cleanse, or when you are in need of inspiration. I made the intention at Beltane to do at least one a month, at full moon or new moon (that’s a picture of my Beltane bath, in my new pink bucket!). Since new moon is tomorrow, I thought you might like to join me. Here are the instructions, courtesy of Patience:

April 15, 2008

As I was pouring my mint tea just now, a shaft of sunlight illuminated the swirling steam and turned the tea to gold. I wanted to capture that magical beauty and reached for the camera, and the light disappeared. Ah well, I thought, and took a sip of the fragrant brew... and the sunlight came back. Pick up the camera, turn it on, aim, and.... sunlight is gone again. Okay, okay, I get it... live in the moment, don't try to make it something it isn't or catch and keep it. Drink your tea while it's hot. A wash of sunlight over the teacup. A quick snapshot. I didn't even see the phone or the keyboard until I uploaded the photo, and that's a good lesson too, in staying focused on what gives pleasure and delight. Fresh hot peppermint tea in a vintage English cup... morning light on an eggplant-purple teapot... a battered old library table I've worked at for 25 years... Elizabethan lute music playing softly, and the day emerging gently, and my heart quietly grateful.

January 28, 2008

Once again, I am reminded of the multitude of blessings in my life that I take for granted every day. Today, it is water. Because of the rainstorms, my well water is temporarily not good for drinking right from the tap and must be boiled first. I don't have any bottled water on hand at the moment, so I'm boiling, cooling, bottling the water, and grumbling about it at first, I admit. But as I dipped my china cup into the silver pan of cooled clear water (so I could brush my teeth), I was humbly grateful for such a small inconvenience that points to the great blessing of water that usually comes so effortlessly and endlessly to me. I offered up a prayer for all those millions for whom water is never received thoughtlessly, for whom it is always a miracle and a blessing. As I sniffle through a rare cold, I offer a prayer for those who suffer with real illness. As I hurry back inside after getting drenched going down to take the garbage out, I give thanks for a shelter to keep me warm and dry and out of the rain, and offer a prayer for those who are cold and wet and never far from the garbage. It seems such a simple thing, but what could be more profound than to be grateful for what is given every day? Every single day.

Tarot Card of the Week

Moon

When the planet turns its face toward the dark, our nocturnal nature draws us out into the realm of Moon. This is a dominion of dreams that we explore with our senses fully awake. The subconscious spills into consciousness, allowing us to see what is not revealed by sight alone. Strange sounds come to our ears, intoxicating perfumes reach our noses, things appear that only emerge in darkness. We creep softly, following our moonshadows over the colorless world.This card is Moon, from my Mystical Cats Tarot, illustrated by Mickie Mueller. Click the image for a larger version.